Jaguar Fighter Jet Crashes in Rajasthan’s Churu, Third Such Incident This Year

Hemani Kandhari 

July 9:

A Jaguar fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed today near Bhanuda village in Rajasthan’s Churu district. The incident took place at around 1:25 PM, when the aircraft came down in an agricultural field and caught fire after the crash.

Defence sources confirmed the incident and said that further details are still awaited. Two Air Force pilots were killed after a twin-seater Jaguar fighter jet crashed near Bhanoda village in Rajasthan's Churu district at 1.25 pm Wednesday. The plane was on a routine training mission.

There was no damage to civilian properties. An inquiry has been ordered, the Air Force said, adding it deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands "firmly with the bereaved families in this time of grief".

This particular plane took off from Rajasthan's Suratgarh Air Force base.

The Jaguar is a twin-engine fighter-bomber in single and twin-seat variants. Widely used by the Air Force despite its vintage status, these planes have been heavily upgraded over the years.

India has an estimated 120 Jaguar fighter jets - spread across six squadrons - in operation.

This incident marks the third Jaguar crash in 2025.

On March 7, a Jaguar jet had crashed in Haryana’s Panchkula district shortly after taking off from Ambala air base. The pilot had managed to eject safely.

On April 2, another Jaguar crashed during a training mission near Jamnagar in Gujarat. One pilot lost his life in the crash, while the other sustained injuries and was treated at a local hospital.

The Jaguar is a British-origin aircraft that has been in service with the IAF for decades. Over the past ten years, more than 30 Jaguar jets have crashed in India, raising concerns about the ageing fleet.

The IAF currently operates around 121 Jaguar aircraft, but plans are in place to phase them out by 2031. They will be replaced by newer, indigenous fighter jets such as the HAL Tejas Mk1A.

This is a developing story. More details are awaited.